The Los Angeles Lakers have been spending some time together in Luka Doncic’s hometown of Ljubljana, Slovenia for a preseason minicamp. Doncic organized the entire trip, which included some excursions to the Lakers star’s favorite spots, as well as team workouts and a visit to a local hospital to give back to the community. And one person who particularly seemed to enjoy the trip was Jarred Vanderbilt.
The Lakers forward has had some consistency troubles on the court, but he has been a positive presence off the court and a team favorite with virtually every destination and every roster he’s been with. He spoke about the visit to a local hospital to meet with expectant parents and their newborns.
“It was amazing. I mean, the kids didn’t react, I don’t think they were old enough. But the parents were very grateful,” Vanderbilt said on Slovenian television. “Even for me, seeing the smile on their faces, I know they had just went through labor, it was amazing. The trip was great, so the way to end it was to go to the hospital and give back to the community, it was nice.”
Vanderbilt then joked about joining Doncic — and former teammate Jaxson Hayes — as members of the Slovenian national team.
“I would love to,” he said. “I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t know much about it before I came here, but it’s definitely a spot I will revisit. I’m looking to get my Slovenian passport, so we’ll see, might be part Slovenian.”
Vanderbilt might be joking, but it is the exact path that Hayes took last season, joining Doncic as a citizen of Slovenia to be able to play on the national team. It’s a route that many American players who likely won’t ever be members of the United States men’s national team take.
The Lakers forward seems to have really enjoyed his time in Slovenia, and it’s possible that — like he says — the next time he’s there is as a citizen, and maybe as a player on the team next to Hayes and Doncic.
Lakers highlights of workout in Slovenia
The Lakers got to spend some time together on the court during their trip to Ljubljana as well, having a team workout with Doncic at the helm. Highlights from this workout can be viewed here, with the team looking happy to be playing together and excited to get to work on the 2026-27 season.
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